It was a night of celebration at the Crieff Hydro Hotel last week (Thu 5 March) as Luke Barclay was named the winner of the prestigious Pre-Apprenticeship Award at the 2026 ALBAS awards.
Organised by Lantra Scotland, the awards celebrate the very best talent and dedication across the sector. For Luke, a trainee on the Ringlink land-based pre-apprenticeship scheme, the evening was a celebration of his rapid progression and hard work at Glenrinnes Estate near Dufftown in Moray.
Reflecting on his win, Luke said: “I’m proud to have won the Pre‑Apprenticeship Award.
“Six months ago, I was completely new to agriculture and felt totally out of my depth. Now, thanks to my mentor Alister and the team at Glenrinnes Estate, everything has changed.
“I’m excited to begin my Modern Apprenticeship in Agriculture and see where this path takes me next.”
From left, Ringlink training manager Paul Wynne, managing director Graham Bruce, Luke Barclay and Ringlink HR co-ordinator intern Lucy Simpson
Despite having no previous agricultural background and even being unable to drive a car when he started, Luke has shown incredible progress during his placement at Glenrinnes Estate.
Working on the organic estate, he has been involved in a wide variety of tasks including tagging, dosing and feeding deer, moving cattle, weaning lambs and general farm maintenance.
He has become proficient in operating machinery like tractors and telehandlers, as well as navigating the estate in 4×4 buggies to manage electric fencing.
Gail Robertson, Group Operations Manager at Ringlink, attended the ceremony and shared her pride.
“We are absolutely delighted to see our trainee Luke Barclay take home the Pre‑Apprenticeship Award, a fantastic and well‑deserved achievement.
“His hard work, positive attitude and commitment to learning have shone through from day one, and we couldn’t be prouder to see him recognised on such a stage.”
Apply for the June intake
Luke’s success is a brilliant example of what can be achieved with commitment and the right support. For those inspired to start their own journey, applications are now open for the June intake of the land-based pre-apprenticeship.
The deadline for applications is 27 March. If you would like to follow in Luke’s footsteps, you can find more details here or by emailing the team at skills@ringlinkscotland.co.uk.
